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WHAT  MAKES 
THE    HOUSE   BEAUTIFUL 


WHAT  MAKES  THE  HOUSE  BEAUTIFUL 

^  Collection  of  "Building  T^etails  with 
^i^KCeasured  T>rawings 


Edited  by  HENRIETTA  C.  PEABODY 


The  ATLANTIC  MONTHLY  PRESS 
BOSTON 


p^ 


Cofyrigki,  igzo,  by 
THE  ATLANTIC   MONTHLY    PRESS,  INC. 


,  »    ■»•»■> 


Contents 


Foreword    ....... 

7 

The  Entrance  to  the  House 

8 

Inside  Finish        ..... 

H 

Stairways     ....... 

20 

The  Bookcase  as  an  Element  of  Design 

25 

The  Fireplace  and  Its  Over-Mantel 

30 

Panels  and  Ceiling  Beams 

■        38 

Some  Attractive  Breakfast  Corners 

45 

China  Cupboards           .... 

48 

Closets  and  Wardrobes 

55 

The  Serving  Pantry      .... 

60 

Kitchen  Details  and  Their  Arrangement 

.         64 

464058 


F holograph  by  Julian  Buckly 


The  side  entrance  of  a  house  in  New  Hampshire  designed  by  the  well-known  aichitect,  Bulfinch,  designer  of  the 
Massachusetts  State  House.  It  is  notable  for  its  strong  but  well-considered  projection  from  the  house  and  for  the 
interest  achieved  by  simple  means.  All  the  mouldings  and  surfaces  are  applied  with  careful  attention  to  their  rela- 
tion to  one  another,  and  the  shadows  cast  by  one  part  upon  another  part.  The  strong  black  of  the  head-light  is 
repeated  effectively  in  the  black  of  the  hardware. 


Foreword 

To  the  architect^  the  exterior  and  interior  of  the  house  pre- 
sent a  single  problem.  Neither  is  conceivable  without  the  other, 
and  details  of  each  are  successful  only  as  they  relate  to  his  concep- 
tion of  the  whole.  The  average  home  builder,  on  the  contrary, 
goes  to  his  architect  with  a  very  clear  conception  of  the  inside  of 
his  house,  but  with  practically  no  idea  of  the  manner  in  which  his 
requirements  are  to  he  met  and  held  together  in  terms  of  an  ap- 
propriate and  satisfying  exterior.  The  architect  is  then  confronted 
with  a  problem,  the  limitations  of  which  do  not  allow  him  to  use 
the  creative  powers  necessary  for  the  accomplishment  of  his  best 
work. 

In  spite  of  this  seeming  obstacle  to  a  complete  understanding  be- 
tween architect  and  client,  much  successful  work  is  achieved  in 
the  end  by  intelligent  cooperation. 

The  purpose  of  this  book  is,  therefore,  to  suggest  by  means  of  ma- 
terial drawn  from  a  number  of  sources,  various  solutions  of  such 
problems  as  are  likely  to  come  up  for  discussion  between  architect 
and  client  in  the  planning  and  building  of  the  home.  There  has 
been  no  effort  to  exhaust  any  of  the  subjects  treated,  but  merely  to 
present,  chiefly  by  illustrations  and  drawings,  such  casual  examples 
of  detail  work  as  would  seem  to  lend  themselves  to  the  purposes 
of  designers  and  would-be  owners  of  beautiful  homes. 
To  T^he  House  'beautiful  iMagaz.ine  is  due  the  credit  for  a  large 
number  of  illustrations  which  have  appeared  from  time  to  time 
in  that  publication.  The  Editor  is  also  indebted  to  Miss  Pamelia 
I.  Haines,  Mr.  Thomas  P.  Robinson,  Mr.  W.  Nelson  Wilkins,  and 
Mr.  Edgar  T.  P.  Walker,  without  whose  counsel  and  encourage- 
ment this  book  could  not  have  been  accomplished. 


The  Entrance  to  the  House 


Doorways  are  focal  points  and  should  have  an  interest  and  import- 
ance in  proportion  to  the  size  and  pretentiousness  of  the  house.  This  can 
be  achieved  by  means  of  size,  color,  or  scale,  singly  or  in  combination. 

The  larger  a  doorway  is,  relative  to  the  house,  the  more  conspicuous 
it  is;  but  it  may  easily  be  too  large.  If  a  house  requires,  or  will  stand, 
a  large  doorway,  size  may  be  achieved  by  legitimate  means.  The  door 
itself  ought  not  to  be  larger  than  the  doors  in  common  use.  This,  the 
central  andimportant  part  of  the  doorway  motive,can  be  enlarged  in  width 
by  means  of  sidelights,  pilasters,  columns,  etc.,  and  in  height  by  means 
of  transoms  or  fan-tops,  immediately  above  the  door;  also  by  archi- 
traves, frieze  and  cornice,  and   round  or  square  pediments  above  these. 

If  the  doorway  is  a  different  color  or  value  from  the  color  or  value 
of  the  house,  it  will  gain  importance.  The  safest  thing  is  the  light  door- 
way against  a  darker  house.  The  dark  doorway  against  a  house  oi 
lighter  value  is  seldom  right,  though  the  door  itself  is  often  darker. 

Scale,  as  here  used,  means  size  of  parts  relative  to  other  parts,  as  well 
as  to  the  house  as  a  whole.  A  plain  doorway  becomes  interesting  and 
important  when  placed  against  a  much-broken-up  wall-surface,  as  or 
narrowly  spaced  clapboards,  or  a  richly  detailed  doorway  when  placed 
against  a  plain  wall  surface.  In  the  same  way  interest  and  importance 
are  gained  by  contrasting  plain  with  detailed  surfaces  in  the  various 
parts  of  the  doorway  motive  itself — as  by  a  fluted  pilaster  against  a 
plain  ground,  or  a  moulded  architrave  contiguous  to  a  plain  frieze. 


^ 


A  DOORWAY  built  up  in  size  by  use  of  pilasters,  entablature  and 
pediment,  emphasized  by  color  treatment,  and  studied  for  con- 
trasts, in  detail,  of  part  with  part.     Line  drawing  on  page  9. 


Built  up  by  side-lights  and  pilasters.  Panels  used  in  place 
of  either  transom  or  frieze  to  gain  height.  Line  drawing  be- 
side photograph. 


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When  the  simple  plan 
outline  of  the  house  is 
overcrowded  by  the  in- 
side space  requirements, 
it  is  sometimes  prefer- 
able to  break  this  out- 
line by  a  subordinate 
mass  rather  than  to  en- 
large the  main  lines  of 
the  house.  The  projec- 
tion as  shown  directly 
below  is  undoubtedly 
due  to  the  need  of  more 
hall-space.  In  such  a 
case,  the  projection  be- 
comes a  part  of  the 
entrance  motive  and  is 
to  be  thought  out,  in  de- 
sign, in  connection  with 
the  doorway  proper. 


IE  doorway  above  is  made  significant 
the  use  of  a  porch,  which  increases 
size.  The  porch  is  light  and  simple 
detail  because  the  house  and  door  are 
iple  ;  but  it  calls  attention  to  itself  by 
ting  a  strong  shadow  and  by  the  dark 
uc  ot  the  rix)f. 


ILOW  is  shown  an  applied  vertical 
orway,  vertical  as  a  whole  and  in  its 
rts.  The  Ionic  order  frames  the  open- 
5  richly  and  strongly.  The  blinds,  a 
[itimate  but  unusual  treatment,  give 
interest  due  to  the  great -number  of 
alt  horizontal  shadows,  especially  de- 
ned  to  accent  the  seeming  height  of 
;  motive. 


Unusual  in  its  ingenious  combination  of 
doorway,  porch  and  garden  motives. 
The  solid  flat  roof  affords  protection 
and  casts  a  conspicuous  shadow  and  the 
side-lights  make  necessary  the  simple  but 
architectural  frame  surrounding  them. 
The  round  flat  pediment  motive  above 
the  cornice  gives  a  vertical  accent  to 
the  whole  doorway. 

A  VERTICAL,  light,  and  simple  door- 
way. The  broad  treatment  of  all  sur- 
faces puts  the  whole  motive  in  strong 
contrast  with  the  many  and  irregular 
minute  shadows  of  the  shingled  wall. 
The  door  is  kept  white  on  purpose:  a 
green  door  would  destroy  much  of  the 
effect  of  the  strongly  contrasting  values. 


11 


^p  >> 


A  Porch  for  a  Farmhouse 


HE  hospitality  of  a  New  England  farmhouse  is  frequently  enhanced 
the  addition  of  a  porch,  provided  the  structure  is  one  which  is 
iple  and  well  proportioned.  The  illustrations  here  are  taken  "  be- 
e  and  after,"  so  that  a  fair  comparison  may  be  made.  The  original 
ranee  doorway  in  the  upper  picture  is  insignificant  and  fails  to  live 
to  the  rest  of  the  house,  in  either  structure  or  spirit.  This  farm- 
jse  calls  for  a  more  imposing  entrance,  one  which  will  extend  a 
Icome  to  the  approaching  guest. 

Vith  the  addition  of  the  porch  shown  below,  the  farmhouse  is  reju- 
latcd,  or,  as  we  would  say  of  a  human  being,  its  whole  expression 
rhanged.    No  detail  of  the  porch  or  door  is  lacking  to  make  it  a  com- 


plete and  harmonious  whole.  Even  the  fractional  measure- 
ments of  the  mouldings  are  given,  that  the  local  carpenter 
may  not  go  wrong  in  his  proportions.  The  characteristic 
six-panel  door  of  the  Colonial  period  is  used.  In  the  old 
doors,  the  upper  pair  of  panels  was  usually  square,  and  the 
two  lower  pairs  were  of  the  same  height,  although  in  many 
cases  the  middle  pair  was  higher,  as  shown  here.  The  pil- 
lars, similar  to  those  on  the  piazza  at  the  end  of  the  house, 
are  just  heavy  enough  to  carry  the  small  gable  roof  without 
being  too  massive  for  the  house  as  a  whole.  The  old  flagstone 
which  has  long  been  used  at  this  doorway  will  be  moved 
out  a  few  feet  to  form  the  first  step  of  the  porch,  and  thus 
link  up  the  new  with  the  old. 


13 


Inside  Finish 


Inside  finish  or  trim,  in  the 
modern  sense,  means  all  the 
wood-finish  which  is  put  into 
the  house  after  the  plasterer  gets 
through  his  work.  It  includes 
doors,  windows,  floors,  archi- 
traves, baseboards,  cornices, 
paneling,  etc.  It  includes  also 
stairways  and  fitments  of  all 
kinds ;  but  these  will  be  taken 
up  in  separate  sections. 

The  wood-finish  is  funda- 
mentally that  part  of  the  finish 
which  covers  up  all  the  rough 
work  to  which  no  plaster-finish 
has  been  applied,  and  brings  the 
whole  inside  of  the  house  to  the 
same  degree  of  completion  as 
the  plaster  walls.  The  base- 
board is  put  on  to  cover  the 
joint  between  the  finished  floor 
and  the  finished  plaster.  The 
architraves  are  put  on  to  cover 
the  joint  between  the  window- 
frame  or  door-frame  and  the  fin- 
ished plaster,  and  the  minimum 
amount  of  finish  is  the  amount 
which  is  just  enough  to  accom- 
plish this  purpose.  A  baseboard 
three  inches  high  with  a  half- 
inch  "  quarter-round  "  to  close 


Simple  finish,  designed  to  harmonize  with  the  walls,  the  light 
value  of  which  contrasts  with  the  dark  value  of  the  floor.  Walls 
are  thus  made  a  background  for  furnishings.  Dark  or  elabor- 
ate finish  would  compete  undesirably. 


the  joint  at  the  top  is,  pra( 
ally,  sufficient.  An  architi 
four  to  four  and  a  half  in 
wide  will  cover  the  window- 
and  close  the  joint  betwo 
and  the  plaster. 

But  we  are  not  dealinj 
minimum  quantities  to-day, 
inside  finish  becomes  thert 
largely  a  matter  of  chara 
The  inside  finish  should  1 
the  same  character  as  the  re 
the  house.  As  a  statement 
is  a  truism,  but  as  a  fact  it  is 
always  recognized  in  prac 
No  one  would  finish  a  cam 
the  same  way  he  would  fin 
winter  residence.  This 
crude  distinction;  but  the 
distinctions  in  character  an 
always,  or  even  commonly 
cognized. 

Character  of  finish,  as 
term  is  here  used,  is  not  c 
prehended  in  such  definitio; 
light,  delicate,  heavy,  and  Ci 
etc  ;  nor  in  such  as  refer  to ;. 
itectural  style  as.  Classic, 
onial,  Georgian,  and  the 
A  particular  example  of  ii 
may  be  any  one  of  these  tb 


Glazed  doors,  with  a  bottom  panel  of  wood,  afford  light  and  access  while 
avoiding  too  close  a  connection  with  out-of-doors. 


Cornice  and   dado  at  top  and  bottom  of  windows  bind  the  end  o 
room  into  a  unified  wood  motive. 


14 


Simple  broad  treat- 
ment of  finish.  The 
edge-moulding  of 
the  architraves  and 
the  small  moulding 
at  the  top  give  an 
architectural  finish 
to  the  doorway  and 
avoid  crudeness 
without  loss  of 
breadth.  Baseboard 
is  necessarily  high 
and  simple  in  ac- 
cord    with     door- 


A  NECESSARY  alcove 
may  be  finished  in 
such  a  way  as  to 
avoid  loss  of  integ- 
rity in  the  adjoining 
room.  The  finish  in 
this  one  is  entirely 
of  wood,  between 
which  and  the  pap- 
ered walls  there  is 
a  marked  separation 
without  any  discord. 


-i 


-^ 


or,  for  that  matter,  several  of  them, 
and  yet  have  no  character  at  all.  Char- 
acter is  achieved  by  many  and  varied 
means,  but  a  dominant  source  of  it 
may  be  called  interest. 

The  chief  source  of  interest  is  va- 
riety. Variety  does  not  result  so  much 
from  the  use  of  a  quantity  of  finish 
as  from  a  proper  disposition  of  the 
amount  that  is  used.  A  room  may  be 
entirely  covered  with  wood-finish  and 
yet  be  monotonous.  Directions  for 
the  avoidance  of  monotony  can  only 
be  suggestive. 

To  begin  with,  conceive  your 
wood-finish  in  its  relation  to  the  whole 
house.  Do  not  overload  one  room 
and  finish  another  sparsely;  or  use 
rich  mouldings  in  one  part  and  no 
mouldings  in  another  part.  Certain 
rooms  may  have  more  finish  than 
certain  other  rooms  in  the  same  house; 
and  some  places  call  for  mouldings, 
while  other  places  do  not:  but  any 
wide  divergence  in  the  treatment  is  to 
be  avoided.  With  these  points  in 
mind,  one  room  of  your  house  can  be 
made  to  vary  from  another,  both  in 
amount  of  finish  and  in  the  detail. 

Treatment  of  the  individual  room 
with  a  view  to  interest  should  lead 
first  to  a  consideration  of  all  the  wall- 
surfaces  in  the  room.  The  question 
is,  how  much  finish  should  the  room 
have,  and  in  what  manner  should  it  be  distributed,  to  make  for 
greatest  interest.  The  thing  to  do  is  to  get  more  than  one  idea 
without  getting  too  many.  A  thorough  study  of  the  wall-sur- 
faces, their  proponions,  and  the  openings  in  them  of  doors  and 
windows,  will  usually  afford  the  clue  to  the  appropriate  wood- 
finish. 


■i'-n'^ 


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u^cnriTi'^'A. 


or  wall-paint ;  it  must  therefore  be 
placed  so  that  this  contrast,  while  ap- 
parent, will  not  be  uneasy  in  effect:  a 
kind  of  balance  must  be  sought.  This 
does  not  mean  that  half  the  wood- 
finisli  should  be  on  one  side  of  the 
room  and  half  on  the  other.  The 
balance  sought  is  not  a  logical,  or 
physical,  but  an  aesthetic  balance.  If 
you  are  unable  to  visualize  your  pro- 
posed result,  try  to  find  an  example 
of  the  thing  you  have  in  mind,  and  see 
what  it  actually  looks  like.  The  study 
of  models,  desirable  in  connection 
with  ail  parts  of  the  house,  is  especial- 
ly so  in  relation  to  inside  finish.  The 
old  models,  or  such  new  ones  as  have 
been  derived  from  them,  are  best,  and 
reveal  a  freedom  of  treatment  and  a 
resultant  interest  which  are  directly 
due  to  a  straightforward  solution  of  the 
particular  problems  involved.  Modern  work  has  a  tendency  toward 
the  kind  of  logic  which  leads  to  the  monotony  of  consistency. 
After  you  have  established  the  amount  and  placing  of  all  the 
finish  with  reference  to  all  the  plaster,  you  are  ready  to  establish 
the  relation  of  the  several  parts  of  the  finish  to  each  other. 
This  is  primarily  a  matter  of  proportion,  and  proportion  is  a 


In  the  first  place,the  woodwork  is  to  contrast  with  the  wall-paper        study  of  forms  and  relations  of  forms. 

15 


Photocraphs  right  and  left  show  variation  of 
wood-finish  as  applied  to  doors  and  windows 
of  the  same  room.  The  detail  is  simple,  but 
there  is  enough  painted  woodwork  used  here 
to  make  the  finish  almost  equally  conspicuous 
with  the  papered  walls,  which  are  in  strong 
value  contrast  with  it. 


The  use  of  the  stained  or  painted  dark  door 
in  connection  with  white  wood-finish  is  some- 
times a  legitimate  way  to  give  interest  to  a 
room. 


Some  hints  may  be  given,  nt  gative  as 
well  as  positive  ones,  as  to  definite  ways 
of  treating  finish.  A  wood  dado  carried  all 
around  a  room  makes  the  plaster  wall  above 
it  of  greater  interest  by  contrast,  but  the 
dado,  considered  by  itself,  becomes  monot- 
onous. If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  dado 
terminates  in  one  end  of  the  room,  which 
is  entirely  of  wood,  then  the  dado  itself  be- 
comes interesting  through  contrast  with 
the  wood  wall.  A  cornice  should  be  of  a 
size  and  importance  consistent  with  the 
general  architectural  treatment;  and  unless 
a  I'oom  contains  architectural  motives,  it  is 
best  not  to  use  any  cornice  at  all.  It  is  also 
wiser  to  avoid  the  use  of  columns  in  wall- 
openings. 

Good  mantels  are  little  more  than  the 
tops  of  frames  to  fireplaces; 
do  not  force  them  into  a 
size  too  great  for  the  open- 
ings. Ornament  of  all 
kinds  is  to  be  sparingly 
used.  In  general,  find 
good  models  of  what  you 
want  to  do,  and  follow 
them,  making  only  such 
variations  as  your  special 
requirements  force  you  to 
make. 

Doors  and  windows, 
properly  considered,  are 
inside  finish  and  should 
be  thought  out  in  connec- 
tion with  this.  Their  po- 
sition in  a  wall  may  easily 
make  that  wall  good  or 
bad  by  dividing  it  into 
pleasing  or  unpleasing  pro- 
portions. 

There  is  a  growing 
tendency  to  make  a  door 
opening    and    then    leave  i„,=ix^a 


.2cAl,E^  InCHE*  I L. 


.Arcbllrave. 


TcoM  A  Mew  Hoi;.st 


Batcton  Mot;;iE:- 


I>K-ir  A'cIJt^rovc 


out  the  door.  Because  of  this,  the  door 
opening  tends  to  be  wider  and  wider,  until, 
in  some  cases,  the  effect  is  that  of  a  wall 
which  is  half  missing.  A  hole  in  a  wall  is 
never  good,  and  the  bigger  it  is  the  worse 
it  is.  Rooms  should  be  self-contained,  and 
the  only  way  to  make  them  so  is  by  using 
doors,  and  doors  of  a  reasonable  size.  Doors 
should  be  as  simple  or  as  elaborate  as  the 
rooms  in  which  they  occur.  If  you  are 
using  plain  board-finish  on  the  walls, 
an  ordinary  batten  (board)  door  is  appro- 
priate. Next  to  this  in  simplicity  is  the 
four-panel  unmoulded  door.  The  six-  and 
eight-panel  doors,  moulded  or  unmoulded, 
so  familiar  in  Colonial  work,  are  for  use 
in  connection  with  the  more  elaborate 
kinds  of  finish.  The  double  wood  door, 
like  the  double  glazed 
door,  should  be  used  only 
under  special  circumstan- 
ces. 

Because  of  the  weather, 
windows  are  never  omit- 
ted, as  doors  are,  from  the 
openings  prepared  to  re- 
ceive them ;  but  though 
we  put  them  in  we  do  not 
always  give  our  windows 
that  distinction  or  individ- 
uality which  architects 
call  character.  One  of  the 
most  important  elements 
of  character  is  scale  or 
size.  The  use  of  a  large 
single  or  double  pane  of 
glass  destroys  scale  and 
makes  it  much  harder  to 
give  a  window  character. 

J'vl  The  small  pane  of  glass 

/i  is  right  because  it  gives  a 

unit  of  measurement  with 
T.„    K,    j'  which  to  start. 


16 


From  a  house  built  about  1 800.  Deli- 
cate details  and  refined  mouldings  are 
typical  of  the  work  done  at  thb  time. 


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of  a  door  archiircw& 


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pfa^f     nir    J/vtf  par^tfi*/r  -\ 


TJie   las\.  13  typical 
for    rn-odaru  v/oi="K 


Elaborate  but  refined  finish  to  a  beau- 
tifully proportioned  window  in  a  house 
built  about  1800.  Maximum  amount 
of  finish  for  a  small  house. 


The  door,  which  is  three  panels  wide,  is  unusual 
in  modern  work.  Black  iron  hardware  and  brass 
box  or  rim  lock  are  of  a  former  time. 


The  wood  cornice  b  one  way  of  giving  dignity  and 
importance  to  a  room.  It  is  best  used  in  connection 
with  a  room  which  has  much  additional  woodwork. 


17 


Doorway  at  "Oak  Hill,"  Peabody,  built  in  1800,  one  of 
Mclntire's  finest  examples.  The  medallion  of  a  basket  of  fruit 
and  flowers  in  the  plain  space  over  the  door  is  very  lovely. 


Inside  of  the  front  door  of  the  Pierce-Johonnot-Nichols  house  in 
Salem,  built  in  1782.  This  fanlight  is  delightful,  and  with  the 
fluted  pilasters  and  the  eight  panels,  has  the  general  impression 
of  an  Adam  effect. 


The  Cook-Oliver  house  in  Salem,  in  which  is  this  doorway, 
was  built  in  1799.  This  is,  perhaps,  Mclntire's  most  famous 
house.  Expense  was  not  considered,  and  he  placed  here  some  ot 
his  finest  interior  woodwork  and  carving. 

A  DOORWAY  in  the  Pierce-Johonnot-Nichols  house,  Salem,  built  in 
•1800.  A  comparison  of  the  doors  on  this  page  is  an  interesting 
study  in  architectural  detail  for  which  Mclntire  had  an  exquisite 
sensitiveness. 


18 


A  COMPLEX  piece  of  construction  and  finish,  which  results  in  a  combination  French  win- 
dow and  Dutch  door.  Close  the  wood  panel  at  the  bottom,  and  it  then  becomes  part  of 
the  wall  of  the  room.  Lower  the  half-sash  to  the  top  of  the  wood  panel,  and  it  becomes, 
obviously,  the  lower  part  of  an  ordinary  double-hung  window.  In  addition  there  are  in- 
side shutters  which  fold  inconspicuously  into  the  joints. 


19 


Stairways 


Consideration  of  stairways  begins 
wirh  a  study  of  their  plan  ;  the  plan 
of  the  stair  is  properly  controlled  by 
the  plan  of  the  house,  or  at  least  that 
part  of  the  house,  as  the  hall,  im- 
mediately related  to  it.  The  simplest 
form  which  the  plan  of  the  house 
allows  the  stairway  to  take  is  always 
the  best.  There  is  no  better-looking 
or  more  convenient  stair  than  the  one 
that  is  merely  a  straight  flight  of  steps 
from  one  floor  to  another.  When 
a  stair  changes  direction,  landings 
should  be  put  in  at  the  points  of 
change.  "  Twisters,"  or  treads  cut 
in  at  an  angle,  do  not  look  as  well 
as  landings  in  the  corner  of  a  stair- 
way, and  are  not,  practically,  as  good 
as  landings.  On  the  other  hand, 
a  semi-circular  stairway,  where  all 
treads  are  cut  at  an  angle,  is  perfectly 
satisfactory  if  the  plan  calls  for  or 
permits  this  type,  and  if  the  relation 
between  treads  and  risers  is  well 
worked  out.  An  old  but  good  rule  for 
getting  a  satisfactory  relation  between 
tread  and  riser  in  any  stairway  is  to 
be  sure  that  the  product  of  the  two 
(each  being  reasonable  by  itself)  is  not 
less  than  72  or  more  than  75  inches. 

Stairways  vary  from  one  another  in 
design  as  widely  as  houses  do,  and 
the  appropriate  one  is  the  good  one. 

An  elaborate  stairway  is  as  out-of  place  in  a  simple  house  as  a 
simple  one  is  in  an  elaborate  house.  An  eccentric  one  is  bad  in  any 
house.  Stair  balustrades  may  be  good  which  are  so  simple  as  to 
have  only  posts  at  the  landings,  and  a  hand-rail  between  the  posts. 


Plan  of  stair  necessitated  by  its  location  at  end  of  hall.    The  dado  is  a  part 
of  the  hall  design  and  is  therefore  given  as  an  element  in  the  stair  design. 


with  no  balusters  at  all.  They  may  be  just  as  good,  but  no  better, 
if  they  have  twisted  newel-posts  and  three  balusters,  each  with  a 
different  turning,  to  a  tread.  Good  taste  alone  will  dictate  the  right 
and  appropriate  thing. 


^rrnrgVATT^ 


^TTt  <.v/j.-t-t/-i-M  _ ASt  J'Sc-rtoK 


•20 


A  well-balanced  stairway  in  a  house  at  Jamaica  Plain,  Mass.,  built  in 
1803.  This  landing  is  as  successful  in  its  way  as  one  with  curved 
railing  although  here  the  turn  b  effected  by  angles,  not  by  curves. 


Staircase,  Cabot-Lee-Kilham  house,  Beverly,  Mass.,  1773.  The 
understair  treatment  is  seldom  used  nowadays,  but  it  may  be  made 
effective  when  the  risers  carry  a  continuation  of  the  paneling. 


In  the  Salem  houiie  where  this  staircase  is,  Mclntire  lived  for  many 
vcars.  Built  in  i  770,  but  not  by  Mclntire.  It  is  an  excellent  solution 
of  the  difficult  problem  of  a  right-angled  turn  in  a  small  compass. 


The  graceful  turn  in  the  staircase  in  Hon.  David  P.  Waters's  home 
in  Salem,  Mass.,  built  by  Mclntire  in  1805.  The  long  sweeping 
curves  give  an  effect  of  height  and   airiness   that  approaches  fragility. 


The  stairway  above  is  characterized  by  lightness  and  sim- 
plicity. The  only  departures  from  strictest  economy  are  the 
"  ease"  and  "ramp"  of  the  rail  and  the  turned  corner-post. 
The  dark  rail  is  a  usual  but  good  source  of  interest.  Some- 
times, in  a  light  stair,  iron  rods  are  run  through  the  centres 
of  the  posts,  to  give  greater  strength. 

A  SIMPLE  effect,  and  a  more  expensive  one  than  it  appears 
to  be.  The  balusters  are  turned,  and  each  of  the  three  to 
a  tread  differs  from  the  other  two.  The  eases  and  ramps 
of  the  rail  are  carefully  worked  out.  The  ends  of  the 
treads  have  an  applied  decorated  treatment.  Dark  parts  add 
to  the  interest. 


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Detail  drawing  of  corner-post,  rail,  and  balusters  shown  in 
upper  left-hand  illustration.  This  design  is  more  severely 
plain  than  most  of  the  examples  found  in  Colonial  work,  al- 
though in  the  majority  of  Dutch  Colonial  houses  the  stairway 
was  not  an  important  feature.  Little  decoration  was  bestowed 
upon  it  and  while  the  hand  rail  was  frequently  of  mahog- 
any, the  spindles  were  nearly   always  straight  and  slender. 


22 


The  noteworthy  poinis  here  are  the 
white  painted  treads  and  risers — the 
usual  stairway  has  painted  risers,  only 
the  treads  being  customarily  given  a 
finish  like  the  floor.  If  white  treads 
are  used,  carpet  or  rugs  should  be 
carried  up  the  stairs  to  protect  the 
paint.  The  balustrade  k  made  dark 
to  contrast  with  the  white. 

The  well  (open  space  above-stairs) 
is  the  interesting  point  here.  It  should 
be  studied  in  connection  with  the 
middle  picture  as  well  as  the  lower 
one:  the  middle  picture  shows  the 
effect  on  the  second  floor  of  the  cir- 
cular plan,  and  explains  why  this 
was  adopted.  The  dark  rail  echoes 
the  dark  doors  of  the  first  floor. 


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Plan  of  stairway  which  is  typical  for 
the  end  of  a  long  hall.  The  rather 
elaborate  paneled  dado  starts  in  the 
hall  and  the  paneled  risers  are  un- 
usual. Stair  dados  are  usually  the 
same  height  as  the  rail,  and  should 
be  flush  with  (in  the  same  plane  as) 
the  plaster  above  them. 


Stairways  between  walls  should  be 
studied  to  give  pleasing  openings 
(in  position  and  proportion)  in  the 
walls  from  which  they  start.  An  arch 
over  the  opening  makes  a  separate 
motive  of  the  stairway.  The  lack  of 
arch  here  called  for  a  treatment  of 
u  all  which  was  a  continuation  ot  the 
treatment  of  the  hall. 


Staircase  as  viewed  from  the  living-ruum.  The  detail  is  well  shown.  Observe  the  twisted  newei-post  and  the  three  different  designs 
in  the  balusters.  The  richness  of  effect  is  due  in  part  to  the  elaborate  wood-detail  and  in  part  to  the  strong  dark  values  of  rail,  treads, 
and  carpet.      Notice  that  the  dark  of  the  rail  is  repeated  in  the  cap  of  the  dado.      An  expensive  stairway  both  to  mill  and  to  build. 


24 


The  Bookcase  as  an  Element  of  Design 


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Bookcases  mav  be  considered  either  as  pieces  of  furniture  or  as 
elements  in  the  design  of  a  room  ;  and  they  should  be  considered 
as  one  thing  or  the  other,  never  as  a  combination  of  the  two.  It 
is  possible,  of  course,  to  design  a  setting  for  a  bookcase  which  is 
merely  a  piece  of  furniture ;  but  when  this  is  rightly  done,  the 
bookcase  is  taken,  to  start  with,  as  one  element  in  the  design,  and 
if  the  bookcase  is  later  dispensed  with,  the  design  of  which  it  was 
a  part  is  left  incomplete.  For  all  practical  purposes,  a  bookcase 
i  must  be  either  of  ■&.  room  or  in  it.  As  here  considered  bookcases 
are  of  the  room. 

The  first  thing  to  establish  is  the  importance  of  the  bookcase 
to  the  room,  and  then  to  give  it  a  setting  and  location  commen- 
surate with  this.  A  library  may  be  almost  entirely  bookcase, 
almost  all  the  wall-space  being  given  up  to  the  shelves.  The  result, 
in  such  a  case,  is  walls  of  books,  and  the  design,  recogniz- 
ing this,  should  seek 
merely  to  complete 
this  wall  with  the 
necessary  finish. 
Architecturally  con- 
sidered, bookcases 
are  better  when  set 
into  a  wail  than  they 
are  when  set  against 
it ;  but  either  treat- 
ment is  legitimate. 
The  set-in  bookcase 
becomes  a  panel  in 
the  wall,  and  as  such, 
must  be  appropriate- 
ly framed  and  held 
in  place.  Panels  of 
books  are  best  placed 
in  pairs — as  a  panel 
on  each  side  of  some 
leading  architectural 
motive  like  a  fire- 
place or  a  window. 
The  single  recessed 
bookcase  is  well 
placed  in  the  middle 
of  a  wall  only  when 
it  is  large  enough 
to  command  this 
imponant  location. 
Smaller  recessed 
panels,      irregularly 


Thib  projecting  bookcase  is  balanced  bv  a  similar  one  on  the  other  siiic  ut  the  window.    Ob- 
serve that  the  detail  is  of  the  same  character  as  the  detail  of  other  wood-finish  in  the  room. 


placed,  are  possible  in  a  room  when  the  surrounding  wood- 
finish  is  of  a  dark  enough  value  to  make  them  inconspicuous 
through  lack  of  contrast. 

The  projecting  bookcase  is  more  of  an  accidental  feature  in  a 
room,  and  for  this  reason  may  be  given  a  more  casual  setting. 
Care  should  be  taken,  however,  to  keep  it  from  becoming  con- 
spicuous ;  it  should  be  tied  in,  or  grouped  with,  other  motives  or, 
at  least,  with  other  woodwork.  Certain  principles  which  apply  to 
the  recessed  bookcase,  apply  also  to  the  projecting  one.  These 
have  chiefly  to  do  with  plan  :  placing  one  of  two  bookcases  on 
either  side  of  a  door  or  window  tends  to  make  both  of  them 
inconspicuous.  It  is  doubtful  if  a  single  projecting  case  can  be 
legitimately  put  in  the  centre  of  a  room  ;  so  planned,  it  is  likely 
to  simulate  a  piece  of  furniture.  If  a  bookcase  is  of  con- 
siderable   length,    its    effect    in     changing    the    proportions    of 

the  wall  surface 
against  which  it  sets 
should  be  borne  in 
mind.  It  ought  then 
to  be  more  impor- 
tant, or  less  impor- 
tant, than  the  plaster 
wall  above,  never 
of  equal  importance. 
Consider  the  wall  as 
divided,  vertically, 
into  thirds,  and  let 
the  bookcase  occupy 
either  one  or  two  of 
the  thirds  in  height: 
in  one  case  the  wall 
predominates,  in  the 
other  the  bookcase. 
It  is  not, of  course, 
impossible  to  build 
good  bookcases,  as 
an  afterthought,  into 
good  rooms,  without 
losing  quality  in 
either  room  or  book- 
case. But  in  any  new 
house  the  bookcase 
problem  is  much 
simpler  if  it  is  taken 
up  and  solved  as  a 
part  of  the  general 
inside  finish. 


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The  simplest  bookcase  is  built  up  of  common  boards.  This  one, 
an  excellent  example  of  the  informal  type  of  design,  has  in  ad- 
dition to  the  boards  a  moulded  top  and  a  moulded  base.  The 
white  paint,  to  correspond  to  the  other  white  finish,  makes 
it  of  the  architecture  rather  than  of  the  furniture  of  the  room. 


A  BOOKCASE  which  is  a  piece  of  furniture.  Together  with  the 
tapestry  it  makes  a  focal  point  in  the  room  —  an  intended  ef- 
fect, as  the  placing  of  the  other  pieces  of  furniture  around  it 
as  a  centre  proves. 


26 


unusual  variation  of 
uncommon  architectu- 
•reatment  of  bookcases, 
c  fire-place  breast  pro- 
^  into  the  room,  mak- 
ing a  pocket  on  either  side. 
I  The  idea  is  to  fill  up  these 
kcts  in  some  useful  and 
;  ropriate  way.  The  usu- 
al result  is  an  entire  wood 
end,  with  cupboard  doors, 
or  drawers,  or  both,  open- 
ing into  the  pockets,  and 


sometimes  with  pilasters 
the  full  height  of  the  room, 
one  on  each  side  of  the 
cupboards.  Frequently  the 
cupboards  are  treated  as 
open  bookcases  held  in  on 
each  side  by  the  pilasters. 
Here  all  architectural  de- 
tail has  been  omitted,  but 
the  architectural  idea  has 
none  the  less  been  ex- 
pressed. 


The  photograph  on 
the  right  is  a  simpler 
rendering  of  the  idea 
expressed  above.  Here 
the  panel  of  books  con- 
centrates the  attention 
in  a  single  centre  of  in- 
terest. The  color  of  the 
books  builds  up  to  and 
supports  the  color  in 
the  painting. 

The  left-hand  pic- 
ture shows  the  use  of  a 
corner  cupboard  as  a 
book-case  —  a  legiti- 
mate treatment  where 
ihe  volumes  are  of  a 
money  value  demand- 
ing the  protection  of 
glass. 


An  elaborately  finished 
library  in  which  the  book- 
cases occupy  most  of  the 
available  wall-surface. 
The  effect  of  a  wall  of 
books  with  their  colorful 
and  varied  bindings  is  al- 
most that  of  a  rich  tapes- 
try. Few  families  have 
collectinns  of  a  size  which 


would  warrant  this  quan- 
tity of  shelf-space ;  the 
treatment  idea  can  easily 
be  applied  on  a  smaller 
scale.  The  essential  thing 
to  remember  is  that  book- 
bindings have  a  color  val- 
ue, and  that  they  may  be 
arranged  in  large  masses 
with  this  fact  in  mind. 


27 


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41 


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Thc  kind  of  bookcase  built  merely  as  a 
place  to  put  books  and  found  afterwards  to 
be  good — not  a  safe  method  and  only  oc- 
casionly  successful.  It  is  much  safer  to 
know  why  you  are  going  to  do  what  you 
do;  your  ideas  may  be  wrong,  but  they  are 
more  likely  to  be  satisfying  than  no  ideas  at 
all.  This  particular  accident  was  lucky  be- 
cause the  resulting  bookcase  is  simple  in  de- 
tail, good  in  proportion,  and,  most  of  all 
perhaps,  because  it  is  a  good  abutting  mo- 
tive for  the  fireplace. 


Bookcases  as  a  part  of  a  wall,  treated  as  panels 
of  color.  The  panels  themselves  are  studied  for 
proportion,  and  are  excellently  framed  by  the 
surrounding  woodwork.  The  excuse  for  the  book- 
cases is  made  by  thickening  the  walls.  This  is  a 
thoroughly  good  example  of  the  architectural  use 
of  bookcases. 


28 


An  excellent  example  of  hanging  book- 
case— light,  delicate,  simple,  and  in  good 
form.  The  idea  back  of  this  kind  of  book- 
case is  the  idea  back  of  a  picture  or  a  tapes- 
try— all  of  them  are  wall  decorations.  This 
one  is  probably  screwed  to  the  wall  and  is 
certainly  painted  white,  and  these  facts 
would  seem  to  make  it  a  part  of  the  archi- 
tecture rather  than  of  the  furnishings  ot  thei 
room.  It  can,  however,  be  taken  down 
and  placed  elsewhere,  and  it  can  be  re- 
painted a  rich  brown,  like  the  old  hanging 
bookcases  in  Down-Eastparlors,  from  which 
probably,  it  descended. 


A  VERY  unusual  example  of  bookcase,  and  one  more  helpful  on  account  of  its  idea,  perhaps,  than  on  account  of  the 
way  in  which  this  idea  has  been  worked  out.  Here  is  a  bookcase  treated  as  a  part  of  the  architecture  of  the  room, 
and  at  the  same  time  as  an  architectural  background  for  a  piece  of  furniture.  The  lack  of  entire  success  is  probably 
due  to  the  fact  that  its  use  as  background  is  about  equal  to  its  use  as  bookcase.    One  or  the  other  should  predominate. 


IThe  Fireplace  and  Its  Over-Mantel 

^An   Old  Fireplace  in  Hingham 


HiNGHAM  is  justly  proud  of  its  valu- 
able traditions  and  its  historic  houses. 
From  the  years  1633  and  1634,  when 
the  first  settlers  made  their  homes  in 
this  little  cove,  its  history  has  always 
been  more  orless  intimately  connected 
with  the  history  of  our  country. 

Many  of  these  historic  houses  have 
been  well  preserved  to  us  by  the  pious 
care  of  the  descendants  of  those  who 
built  them  more  than  two  hundred 
years  ago.  And  in  many  of  these 
homesteads  we  find  that  the  present 
occupants  spring  from  the  old  family 
tree,  and  that  the  house  with  its  fur- 
nishings is  a  record  of  over  two  cen- 
turies of  unbroken  family  life.  So  we 
find  among  these  families  a  true  ap- 
preciation of  and  love  for  the  beauties 
of  the  early  Colonial  architecture  and 
furniture. 

The  picture  shows  a  room  not  so  old 
as  many  in  the  neighboring  houses, 
but  very  interesting  from  the  aesthetic 
point  of  view.  We  should  note  sev- 
eral features  of  design,  —  the  chance 
creations  of  the  builder  rather  than 
the  result  of  studious  efforts  for  effects, 
—  all  of  which  contribute  to  the  beauty  of  the  room. 

The  simple  mantel,  composed  chiefly  of  large  boards,  very  rest- 
ful in  the  absence  of  ornament  and  mouldings  —  a  mantel  easily 
reproduced,  and  with  equally  good  effect,  at  small  expense  in 
many  of  our  modern  houses.  In  connection  with  the  mantel,  note 
the  simple  brick  treatment  of  the  long  hearth,  the  proportions  of 
the  opening,  the  cement  facing,  the  interest  created  in  the  useful 
wood-closet  which  was  originally  an  oven.  And  note  the  pleasant 
absence  of  the  wall-board  above  the  shelf,  which  always  changes, 
in  surface  and  color,  the  background  of  objects  on  the  shelf. 


The  doors  are  very  typical,  but  they  are  well  worthy  of  study 
for  the  excellent  proportions  of  panels  to  each  other  and  of  rails 
to  stiles.  The  relatively  low  ceiling  is  not  so  low  as  to  give  any 
one  a  feeling  of  oppression,  and  it  is  in  this  very  important  meas- 
urement of  ceiling  height  that  we  find  the  room  to  be  so  well 
proportioned.  The  door  closing  on  the  top  of  the  first  step  is 
characteristic  of  this  work,  and  may  seem  to  many  to  be  poor 
design.  But  others  of  us  are  fond  of  this  feature,  for  a  distinct 
picturesqueness  it  has  and  a  feeling  even  of  mediaeval  days. 


Dl2AWlNa>5      OF    MANTEL.5 

"From    Old   Hoi;5"e>3 


DOOJL.     TO 


1 


ELLVATION    OF    WALL   IN 
DINING  R.O0M    SHOWING  MANTEL. 


V//////^y////. 


Plan 

SHOWING 
HEAfOTH 


/e  «»  A  3  o 


A     OfJ  O^en     y. 


II     I     I  ^  I  '  !    i     I     i 


4- 


n3 


II    I    I    II    I 


Dook.  TO 

51J5L  Porch 


\ 


%  u*h- 


VA///y////////////A 


'///////y/. 


# 


Mantel  .Shelf 


yy/r^     moo/a r/ta    t/^^c/er 


^ 


y2^     Mouldld  Architrav 
AR.O  u  N  J>   BooRjs  (^  Win: 


VlNDOV/S 


Y^^^TTTTTTTTTTTyTTT- 


I 


Door.  PANEL^oULDINd 

Details  ahl  5hown  at  half  of  their. full  5ize 


31 


Ellvatioh   of  manteu 

Scale.    I"!'.!'-!'-!  ■    — 


k// 


'£^^ 


a!i!ili|i|ii:!iiT^ 


gK^' '■'■' 


^^— ^ 

j!'!'!'!'!"^  j>-. 


0 


Li  ^ka  r^y 


J&      o      a       /<     S 


&77777777r77777777777777:^ 


J>oo  C 


I 


^^ 


'PlajsI     op      R^ooM. 

Scale,    i     i     i     i     i     i  i^   ./ 
o     I.    t.    s,   A    e    &fr. 


32 


Old-fashiisned  fireplace.      The  board  frame  to  the  opening,  with  its  simple  edge-moulding  and  shelf,  is  appropriate  to  the  plain  board 

doors  and  plain  dado,  with  their  slight  mouldings.     Much  of  the  charm  of  this  mantel  is  due  to  the  informal, 

almost  casual,  treatment  of  the  parts,  particularly  their  varied  sizes. 


The  original  finish  here  was  a  group  of  simple  panels  surrounding  the  opening.      The  middle  was  evidently  taken  out  and  the  shelves 

put  in  its  place.    The  shelf,  also,  is  a  modern  addition.    Observe  that  the  plaster  has  the  effect  of  comfwjsing 

with  the  surrounding  woodwork  and  so  reduces  the  apparent  size  of  the  opening. 


A  Few  Notes  on  the  Building  of  Chimneys 

and  Fireplaces 


Fireplaces  and  chimneys  are  built  of  other  materials  besides 
brick,  but  brick  is  the  material  most  often  used.  Whenever  the 
chimney  is  not  exposed,  is  is  usually  built  of  a  common  brick 
called  a  "  chimney  brick."  Bricks  exposed  to  the  eye  or  to  the 
weather,  as  in  outside  chimneys,  tops  of  chimneys,  fireplace- 
facings,  hearths,  etc.,  are  of  a  better  class,  for  both  practical  and 
aesthetic  reasons. 

Where  chimneys  are  not  exposed  to  the  air,  and  when  a  flue- 
lining  is  used,  the  walls  need  be  only  four  inches  thick.  Where 
chimneys  are  exposed  to  the  air,  and  even  when  flue-lining  is 
used,  the  walls  should  be  eight  inches  in  thickness.  The  action  of 
the  weather  on  the  thinner  wall  is  likely  to  kill  the  draught.  Back 
of  fireplaces  that  come  in  an  outside  wall,  there  should  be  an 
air-space ;  also  between  the  flue-lining  and  the  outside  wall. 
In  order  to  gain  the  eight-inch  walls  above,  chimneys  are  fre- 
quently thickened  just  below  the  roof.  This  creates  a  kind  of  re- 
versed shelf,  from  which,  when  the  bricks  are  saturated  by  a  long- 
continued  rain,  water  is  likely  to  drip.  This  danger  can  be  avoided 
by  certain  expedients.  Probably  the  best  method  is  to  use  sheet 
lead  in  such  a  way  that  it  will  conduct  the  water  so  that  it  will 
disappear  between  the  flue-lining  and  the  brick;  there  will  be  so 
little  of  it,  that  the  likelihood  of  freezing  can  be  disregarded. 
Chimneys  should  have  eight-inch  walls  whenever  and  wherever 
the  flue-lining  is  not  used. 

The  introduction  of  terra-cotta  flue-lining  has  served  to  reduce 
the  amount  of  space  occupied  by  chimneys,  and  to  make  them 
more  nearly  fire-proof.  These  flue-linings  are  made  stock  size, 
but  vary  slightly  for  difl^srent  parts  of  the  country. 


Fireplaces  are  built  over  and  over  again,  which  do  not  woi 
properly  ;  but  there  is  no  reason  why  this  should  be  so.  Tl 
only  really  definite  rule  that  can  be  given  to  ensure  the  prop 
working  of  fireplaces  is  that  the  flue  (inside  measurement)  shou 
be  from  one-eighth  to  one-tenth  of  the  area  of  the  fireplace  opei 
ing  —  that  is,  if  your  fireplace  is  four  feet  high  and  four  feet  wid 
it  will  surely  work,  so  far  as  the  size  of  the  flue  is  concerned, 
it  is  one-eighth  of  sixteen  square  feet ;  and  it  will  almost  sure 
work  if  it  is  one-tenth.  If  the  flue  is  a  round  flue,  it  will  work 
it  is  one-twelfth ;  and  as  a  matter  of  fact,  it  will  probably  woi 
if  it  is  considerably  smaller  than  this  —  but  this  cannot  1 
guaranteed. 

The  nearest  to  a  definite  rule  that  can  be  given  is  that  the  dep 
of  the  fireplace  should  be  one-third  the  width  when  the  wid: 
exceeds  three  feet  six  inches.  It  is  never  desirable  to  make  tli 
depth  less  than  one  foot  two  inches.  The  splay  on  the  sides 
the  fireplace  should  be  set  at  an  angle  of  60  to  45  degrees  to  tlj 
facing,  and  should  be  in  the  same  plane  from  facing  to  back,  ar 
not  —  as  most  masons  build  their  fireplaces  —  with  a  four-inc; 
set-back  from  the  facing  to  the  splay.  Of  course,  these  poin 
should  be  taken  in  connection  with  others,  which,  howeve 
cannot  be  stated  in  such  precise  terms. 

The  throat  is  a  very  important  matter.  It  should  rise  from  tl 
smoke-shelf  to  the  flue  at  an  angle  of  not  less  than  60  degree 
The  opening  into  this  throat  should  be  the  full  length  of  tl 
fireplace  between  splays  and  about  four  inches  from  front  to  bac 
The  smoke-shelf  is  most  important,  as  it  diverts  any  dow 
current  of  cold  air,  which  always  comes  down  the  back  of  the  fli 


34 


A   MODERN   Colonial  fireplace  and   mantel  of  good   proportions  and   design.     The  decoration   is  effective 
by  reason  of  its  close  proximity  to  simple  surfaces. 


into  the  warm  air  current  at  the  front  of  the  flue.  For  this  reason, 
the  smoke-shelf  should  always  be  above  the  top  of  the  fireplace 
opening.  There  are  a  number  of  patent  cast-iron  throats  on  the 
market,  which,  if  used,  ensure  the  proper  relation  between  fire- 
place and  flue,  and  which  have  in  them  the  damper  which  a  good 
many  people  nowadays  insist  upon  having.  The  ordinary  "tip  and 
slide"  damper,  if  placed  with  care,  should  not  interfere  with  the 
draught.  Dampers  are  useful  to  keep  birds  and  flies  out  of  the  rooms. 

The  size  of  the  opening  itself  depends  more  or  less  directly  on 
the  size  of  the  room,  and  for  this  no  rule  can  be  given,  really, 
except  the  old  rule  of  finding  an  example  which  one  likes  and 
following  it. 

Fireplaces  in  houses  are  no  longer  necessary  from  the  practical 
point  of  view  ;    for  that   matter,  thev   have   not   been   necessary 


since  stoves  came  into  use,  and  they  become  increasingly  less  so 
as  one  improved  method  of  heating  follows  another  into  our 
houses.  But  this  is  from  the  practical  standpoint.  Actually,  we 
are  using  firephces  more  and  more.  A  hundred  years  ago  the 
usual  thing  was  to  brick  up  the  fireplace  when  a  new  stove  came 
to  take  its  place.  Now,  however,  we  realize  that  fireplaces  fulfill, 
for  many  of  us,  an  interior  and  personal  need,  and  we  are  taking 
the  brick  walls  out  of  the  old  ones  and  building  new  ones  into 
our  new  houses.  They  are  therefore  a  fundamental  consideration 
in  the  design  of  all  principal  rooms. 

Fireplaces,  when  used, inevitably  become  focal  points  or  centres  of 
interest  in  a  room,  and  this  fact  should  be  kept  in  mind  in  planning 
for  them.  It  is  not  always  easy  to  place  a  chimney  in  a  position 
which  makes  this  possible,  but  the  result,  if  achieved,  justifies  the 


This  plan  of  the  fireplace  above  gives  a  better  idea  of  the  composition  as  a  whole. 

35 


^^tzM^sz:  ,&.-"rT.o-St-  — .— 


i  ^■■'■■•'.•■^ .  1 .  >.-.  -t  .■ 


^J^-KT   I't.AK 


I 


extra  necessary  thought  and  cost.  In  a  simple  square  or  rectangular 
room,  the  fireplace  may  well  centre  on  a  wall  surface,  not  neces- 
sarily the  centre  of  the  room. 

The  fireplace  motive  includes  not  only  the  opening  and  the 
facing,  but  all  the  other  finish,  usually  wood,  immediately  adja- 
cent, as   frame,  mantel,  over-panels,  side   pilasters,  and  the  like. 

The  opening  itself 
and  the  facing  im- 
mediately surround- 
ing this  are  the 
starting-point.  The 
opening,  whether 
brick  (the  usual 
one),  tile,  soapstone 
or  iron,  used  singly 
or  in  combination,  is 
not  a  thing  to  slight 
if  the  best  result  is 
sought. 

The  facing  need 
not  be  of  the  same 
material  as  that  of 
the  opening.  The 
brick  facing,  with  its 
small  units,  may  be 
too  small  in  scale. 
If  so,  the  bricks  can 
be  plastered  with 
cement,  and  the  re- 
sulting cement  fac- 
ing painted  any  de- 
sired color.  The  least 
possible  amount  of 
wood-finish  to  a  fire- 
place is  the  simple 
"roll-moulding,"  or 
architrave,       which 


Another  piece  cf  modern  work,  which  gains  effectiveness  by  means  of  proportion 
and  simplicitv.  The  fireplace  and  adjacent  doors  should  be  studied  as  a  whole 
in    relation    to    the    side    wall    of   the    room,    as    shown    in    the     plan     above. 


simply  frames  the  opening  and  facing.  This  may  be  used  where 
it  is  desirable  to  preserve  plain  wall-surfaces.  Add  to  the  architrave 
a  frieze  and  mantel,  and  you  have  the  next  simplest  fireplace  de- 
sign. This  as  a  basis  may  be  elaborated  greatly  before  calling  in 
other  elements  to  gain  importance.  If  the  elaborated  mantel  will 
not  serve  the  purpose,  the  other  elements  may  be  used.  It  may  be 

that  size,  rather  than 
elaboration,  is  want- 
ed in  the  motive. 
Ordinary  boards  will 
give  more  size,  but 
if  this  effect  is 
crude,  use  panels. 
Pilasters  may  be  ad- 
ded at  the  sides  and 
cornice  at  the  top.  If 
more  elaboration  is 
needed,  bring  back 
the  mantel  and  su- 
perimpose it  on  th« 
rest.  There  is  a  pro 
gressive  enrichmeni 
of  detail  as  you  fot 
low  along  these  sev- 
eral stages. 

No  fireplace  mo- 
tive should  be  con- 
sidered, without  con- 
sidering also  the  fin- 
ish  to  beapplied  to  it 
Paint  or  stain  wil 
qualify  effects  in  col- 
or, value,  richness 
and  all  of  these  art 
elements  in  giving 
significance  to  th( 
fireplace  as  a  whole 


36 


Type  of  mantel  applied  to  a  breast  which  is  partly  plaster,  partly  wood.  Distinction  and  refinement  characterize  the  motive  as  a  whole. 
It  is  especially  noteworthy  as  a  study  in  contrasts.  Observe  that  the  large  plain  panel  is  framed  by  minutely  detailed  members  ;  and 
that  the  several  elements  of  the  mantel  itself  are  so  related,  that  a  decorated  member  is  always  in  direct  contrast  with  a  plain  member. 


87 


Panels  and  Ceiling  Beams 


This  fireplace  motive 
as  a  whole  is  architec- 
turally placed  in  the 
room,  and  the  placing 
is  given  appropriate  em- 
phasis by  the  architec- 
tural details  of  which  it 
is  composed.  The  hor- 
izontal panels  are  held 
firmly  in  place  by,  and 
contrasted  with,  the 
strong  pilasters.  This 
type,  in  the  earlier 
work,  is  seldom  found 
to  have  a  shelf;  but 
modern  adaptations  fre- 
quently do  have  shelves; 
if  used  at  all,  they 
should  be  very  simple. 
The  facing  and   hearth 


are  of  tiles,  these 
used     as    a    decora55t 
feature   but  composing 
in   value    with    wood-  i 
work.    The  tile  hearth] 
composes,  in  the  same 
way,   with    the    floor. ' 
The  fireplace  itself  has  i 
a   plaster  surface-finish ' 
applied     probably     to  i 
brick.     In   a  case  like 
this,  where  the  fireplace 
motive    is    merely    the 
central  feature  of  an  all- 
wood  end,  it  must  be 
considered  with  refer- 
ence to  the  rest  of  the 
finish.  Study  the  photo- 
graph    in     connection 
with  the  drawing. 


38 


Wood  Ceiling  Beams 

In  ColonialDomestic  Architecture 


=DeTAI  L^  OF  ieAMS 


Plan     C?fCe.I1_INQ     ,k    P,'>'/ ^ey»rv  Ci^M,^/- 


^     '^'c./r,-^ 


^^^ailofBejmm  'B 


Va 


m 


'f«6"ot' 


/— »-i/ ' — — — ■ 


SDeTAIUOPBEAM  "o" 


=.h^. 


Typ/cau  Mouupiajgs 

ON  ^ELAMS 


;4//    ieswS    in  fhjs  ivork.  <3re. 


/£'  -l-o- 


> 

3     X    i- 

i 

» 

Px-AK    OF    CeIL-IMQ 

^^  ^$^1^^—         ■ -—^ 

C/^  Z/fuse 

3, 

^  Xi^r^ 

a   //// 

* 

j-^ 

1 ^ 

*H 

?UAiSl 

31) 


Here  the  fireplaces  may  be  considered  as  inconspicuous  but  obvious  focal  points.  The  upper  one  is  strongly  marked  by  the 
black  paint  applied  to  both  the  brick-work  and  the  plaster  facing.  The  lower  one  shows  the  woodwork  brought  to  the  very 
edge  of  the  opening,  and  so  in  strongest  contrast  with  the  black  of  the  shadow.  In  both  cases  the  contrast  of  black  with  white 
is  so  marked  that  it  compensates,  in  the  way  of  giving  importance  to  the  fireplaces  for  lack  ot  size.  This  is  not  to  say  that  the 
lack  of  size  is  a  defect  :  quite  the  contrary.  If  the  openings  were  larger,  they  would  be  out  of  scale  with  (too  large  for)  the 
room.  Either  there  is  no  fi-ame  to  these  fireplaces,  or  the  frame  is  tlie  entire  wall  of  the  room.  This  is  a  typical  early  treat- 
ment, and  had  its  origin  in  the  fact  that  the  inside  walls  of  a  house  were  frequently  made  up  of  wood  panels,  which  were 
carried  right  past  the  fireplace  (a  hole  being  left  for  this)  from  wall  to  wall  of  the  house. 


40 


Coraiot) 


3hii  ^oor 

is  of 
laler  period 


(51e-7a.fior)     c)ca>1e  J^''=r-o" 


Ce-'fio<v/' 


JfooQ 


S!>&1-a^i1   of  Cornice) 


102.11 


\\i\rd'b    of    fi;l[    ^j^cf) 


V 


^/M. 


^rick^- 


arovn3    i?i  re  p  lace) 


41 


This  seventeenth-century  jianeling  shows  a  happy  arrangement  of  the  panels  and  the  studied  proportions  between  the  rails  and  stiles  ot  the  panels. 


Paneling  in  the  William  Lincoln  House 


This  house  should  not  he  confused  with  the  General  Lincoln 
House,  which  is  more  historically  famous  as  the  home  of  the 
general  who  received  the  sword  of  Cornwallis  at  the  surrender  of 
Yorktown ;  but  it  probably  dates  from  about  the  same  time  as 
this  latter  mansion.  However,  we  have  no  records  that  tell  ex- 
actly when  its  original  structure  was  built,  or  whether  it  shared 
in  the  historic  happenings  of  the  revolutionary  period.  The  oldest 
portion  of  the  house,  of  which  this  living-room  is  a  part,  dates 
from  some  time  late  in  the  seventeenth  century.  It  has  been  oc- 
cupied for  many  years  by  descendants  of  Samuel  Lincoln,  and  its 
chief  interest  is  a  domestic  rather  than  an  historic  one. 

Characteristic  details  of  many  of  the  houses  of  the  seventeenth 
and  eighteenth  centuries  are  well  exemplified  in  this  house,  so  a 
brief  resume  of  these  typical  forms  will  conduce  to  a  fuller  ap- 
preciation of  the  room  illustrated.  We  find  the  two-and-a-half- 
story  house  with  a  large  central  chimney  so  placed  as  to  provide 
open  fires  for  the  surrounding  rooms.  A  staircase  leads  to  the 
upper  front  rooms.  Frequently  another  stairway,  in  the  rear,  leads 
to  the  back  second  story,  and  when  additional  rooms  were  added, 
other  ladder-like  stairways  were  also  built.  On  either  side  of  the 
front  entrance  hall  is  a  large  room,  with  the  side  containing  the 
wide  fireplace  paneled  in  its  entire  length  and  height.  The  rooms 
have  comparatively  low  ceilings,  sometimes  not  more  than  seven 
feet  above  the  floor,  and  a  great  beam  or  summer-tree  visible  be- 
low the  ceiling. 

Our  picture  shows  one  of  these  typical  front  rooms.  The  ceil- 
ing is  lower  than  we  find  in  the  houses  of  our  own  time.  But  it 
is  not,  as  some  may  suppose,  so  low  as  to  be  depressing.  On  the 
contrary,  much  of  the  spaciousness,  the  quiet  dignity  of  restraint, 
the  true  domesticity,  that  give  to  this  room  its  character  and 
charm,  are  dependent  on  just  this  very  important  dimension  of 
ceiling  height.  The  cement  facing  about  the  fire  opening  and  the 
large  square  quarry-tile  hearth  are  also  typical  of  this  early  work. 
But  the  most  notable  feature  in  the  design  of  the  room  is  the 
paneled  wall. 


The  panel  moulding  is  very  simple  in  its  section  profile.  It 
the  result  of  the  constructive  mind,  working  in  an  orderly  dire 
tion.  The  builder  first  felt  the  need  of  softening  the  corners 
his  rails  and  stiles.  This  he  did  by  the  introduction  of  one  oft 
most  primitive  forms,  the  quarter-round  moulding.  Then  t 
inner  portion  of  the  panel  must  necessarily  have  a  tongue  th 
will  project  into  the  rails  and  stiles,  a  thin  edge  that  requirec 
bevel  or  chamfer.  The  result  was  a  quarter-round  and  be\ 
raised  panel  moulding  which  is  very  typical  of  the  Colonial  wo 
of  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries.  There  is  nothi 
suggestive  of  the  superficial  applied  moulding.  It  is  soft  and  ) 
not  over  delicate,  and  thoroughly  constructional  as  well  as  beau 
ful.  The  moulding  of  the  door  architrave  is  very  simple,  a  typic 
moulding  applied  to  the  main  surface  of  the  paneling.  There 
no  discordant  note  in  the  entire  wall.  The  whole  is  rich  in  elTe 
yet  the  design,  like  the  construction,  when  resolved  into  its  fu 
damental  terms,  is  found  to  be  very  simple. 

The  panel  work  during  the  first  part  of  the  eighteenth  centt 
was  characterized  by  many  of  the  features  which  were  in  voj 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  century,  but  rooms  W( 
generally  higher  and  more  spacious,  and  there  was  more  on 
mentation  of  the  interior  woodwork.  Panels  were  large  and  wt 
proportioned  according  to  the  available  space,  a  single  panel  bei 
customarily  used  for  the  chimney  piece. 

Paneled  walls  are  primarily  of  period  character,  and  this  shot 
be  taken  into  account  when  considering  their  use  in  a  particu 
type  of  house.  It  is  not,  of  course,  impossible,  or  in  bad  taste, 
adapt  a  certain  style  of  paneling  to  a  house  which  makes  no  p 
tense  of  following  period  styles  and  where  a  general  method 
furnishing  is  desired  or  planned  for.  Many  modern  architects, 
fact,  make  a  practice  of  designing  these  non-committal  derivatic 
for  such  purposes.  But  if  there  is  any  pretense  of  followinj 
specified  period  style,  it  should  be  remembered  that  paneling 
one  of  the  key-notes  of  period  work,  and  its  proper  use  should 
the  subject  of  study  on  the  part  of  both  architect  and  owner. 


42 


Living  R.OOM  in  William  Lincoln  Hou-sl 

///n.^  A<9r?^    Af^3S.    ^c//// e9j^oty/  /Yoo 


PLAN     OF     WALL- 
5HOWIKG     HEAILTH 


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44 


Some  Attractive  Breakfast  Corners 

fsA  pleasant  nook  in  the  kitchen  where  a  light  meal  may  he  easily 
served  has  become  almost  indispensable  in  the  modem  home. 


iVE  is  illustrated  an  especially  charm- 
Mample  of  the  Pullman  breakfast 
|ner.    Constituting  a  special  addition 
:he  kitchen,  it  is  approximately  five 
square.    Both  the  table  and  the  seats 
stationary,  the  mildly  sloping  backs 
:he  latter  ending  at  the  top  with  plate- 
Three  narrow  casement  windows 
vcly  curtained  are  placed  in  the 
end,  and  there  is  a  drop-light 
lie  table.     This  breakfast  alcove 
Uid  be  curtained  oiT  if  desired. 


Although  occupying  floor-space  of  but 
five  feet  square  approximately,  this  little 
breakfast  corner  is  of  very  comfortable 
size  and  a  most  convenient  feature.  The 
seats  and  table  are  stationary,  the 
former  being  designed  with  high  pan- 
eled backs.  The  space  is  marked  off 
from  the  kitchen  only  by  one  of  the 
high-back  seats.  A  pair  of  casement 
windows  floods  the  corner  with  outdoor 
light,  and  there  is  the  usual  electric 
light  over  the  table. 


HI  Dutch  breakfast 
mer  shown  here  is  a 
re«  adjunct  or  part 
the  kitchen,  being 
ry  simply  marked  off 
)ni  the  room  by  one 
j  the  seats.  The  cor- 
•r  is  lighted  from  win- 
Siws  in  two  walls. 
i5th  the  table  and  the 
ats     are     stationary. 


We  get  but  a  glimpse  of  a  very  delight- 
ful breakfast  corner  (above)  through  a 
small  but  well-planned  pass-pantry.  The 
corner  is  only  about  four  feet  six  inches 
wide  and  only  three  feet  deep.  The 
seats  are  of  the  stationary  box  kind,  and 
the  table  is  hinged  to  the  wall  at  one 
end  and  at  the  other  is  supported  by  a 
hinged  leg,  which  arrangement  enables 
it  to  be  folded  out  of  the  way  against 
the  wall.  The  corner  has  but  a  single 
window.  Its  walls  are  finished  with 
a  plate-rail. 


Back  of  the  partition- 
ing seat  is  left  just  suf- 
ficient wall  space  for  a 
well-known  make  of 
kitchen  cabinets.  The 
corner  is  about  five  feet 
wide  and  four  feet  deep. 
The  top  of  one  seat  u 
hinged  and  a  box-like 
receptacle  is  provided. 


45 


The  alcove  at  the  left  is  large  enough  to  accomodate,  not  only  a  tal 
and  seats,  but  also  generous  cupboards  for  dishes  and  linen.  The 
lustration  directly  above  shows  what  may  be  done  with  a  corner 
the  kitchen  if  no  alcove  space  is  available.  Table  and  seats  are  fi 
ished  to  match  the  light  woodwork  of  the  kitchen,  and  the  dain 
wall  covering  with  glazed  surface  in  blue  and  white  squares  is  dain 
as  well  as  practical. 

The  drawing  and  illustration  below  are  of  a  table  with  drop-leav 
that  are  raised  after  the  occupants  of  the  benches  are  seated.  T! 
scheme  admits  the  use  of  a  narrower  alcove  than  would  accommod; 
a  full-size  table  with  seats,  and  the  construction  is  very  simple  a 
economical.  There  are  no  backs  to  the  seats,  the  wall  serving  tl 
purpose.  Here  again,  as  in  the  upper  picture,  the  table  and  bencV 
are  finished  like  the  woodwork,  which  tends  to  make  them  seen- 
part  of  the  room  rather  than  of  the  furnishings. 


46 


The  breakfast  nook  at  the  right  is  unusually  wide,  allowing 
the  odd  line  of  the  seat-ends  to  take  full  effect.  Their  sim- 
plicity and  form  recall  the  fireside  settles  of  olden  times. 
Detail  drawing  below  photograph. 

A  SMALL  alcove  in  an  apartment  house  (upper  left-hand 
picture)  can  often  be  used  to  advantage  for  serving  a  light 
informal  meal  and  at  the  same  time  making  its  contribution 
to  the  decorative  effect  of  the  room. 

This  was  originally  planned  to  be  a  pantry  but  the  owners 
transferred,  the  pantry  accommodations  to  the  kitchen,  and 
furnished  this  space  as  a  breakfast  nook. 


47 


China  Cupboards 


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48 


A  cuFBOARD  which  is  not  a  separate  thing,  but  part  of  the  gen- 
eral wall-design.  The  architrave  composes  with  the  other  finish 
and  frames  a  rectangular  opening.  The  round  effect  of  the  glass 
is  to  give  interest  in  form  to  the  black  of  the  opening. 


Built-in  cupboard  of  inexpensive  type,  depending  for  interest 
upon  its  light  value,  in  contrast  with  the  dark  walls,  and  upon 
•he  decorative  outline  at  the  top  and  the  plan  of  the  shelves. 


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61 


A  China  Cups  oak  d 


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52 


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ill  III 


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The  china  closet  with  a  glass  front  is  usually  thought  of  as  a  display-place  for  the  best  family  china.    This  alone  would  make  it  a  prominent 

element  in  a  room,  necessitating  a  carefully  chosen  position.    More  important  than  the  china,  however,  is  the  dark  value  which 

a  glazed  recess  always  has  ;  and  when  this  dark  spot  is  in  direct  contrast  with  white  wood-work,  as  here,  it  should 

be  in   a  position  which  tends  to  preserve  the  balance  of  the  room. 


This  china  cupboard,  becau.'-e  of  its 
wooden  doors,  is  primarily  a  part  of 
the  general  wood-finish.  Like  all  the 
detail  here,  it  is  as  simple  as  possible. 
The  charm  of  it  is  undeniable,  but 
the  secret  of  this  charm  is  not  easy 
to  detect.  Probably  it  is  due  in 
part  to  its  quaintness  of  form  and  to 
its  casual,  almost  accidental  position. 
To  reproduce  this  charm  is  a  more 
difficult  feat,  and  requires  more  study 
than  to  achieve  the  one  above,  or 
any  of  the  more  formal  examples. 


58 


A  BUILT-IN  corner  cupboard  with  numerous  sources  of  interest.  Moulded  wood  doors  at  bottom  and  shell  cove  at 
top  are  purposely  made  interesting  to  contrast  with  the  plain  plaster  wall,  which  in  turn  serves  as  a  background 
for  the  china.  The  shelves  have  a  decorative  outline  projecting  at  the  middle  of  each  shelf,  which  accents  the  pos- 
ition of  the  largest  piece  of  china.  The  projection  of  the  doors  marks  them  as  part  of  the  cupboard  instead  of  part 
of  the  dado;  usually  the  frame  of  the  opening  runs  down  to  the  floor  and  the  doors  are  inside  this  frame. 


54 


Closets  and  Wardrobes 


Closets, properly  speaking,are  con- 
tained within  the  construction  and 
are  part  of  the  plan  of  a  house.  Ward- 
robes, properly  speaking,  are  enclosed 
fitments  of  one  kind  or  another,  and 
are  part  of  the  design  and  finish  of 
the  rooms  in  which  they  are  placed. 
Practically  considered,  the  two  things 
have  no  clear  lines  of  separation,  so 
that  closets  often  contain  elaborate 
fitments  and  wardrobes  are  sometimes 
merely  projecting  or  recessed  closets. 

Whether  closets  or  wardrobes  are 
to  be  used,  they  should  be  thought 
out  in  the  earliest  stages  of  the  plan- 
ning of  any  new  house.  The  usual 
and  right  placing  of  closets  is  between 
the  partitions  of  the  several  rooms, 
in  such  a  way  that  they  do  not  break 
up,  by  projecting,  the  main  walls  of 
the  rooms.  A  little  effort  in  planning 
will  almost  always  achieve  this  result. 
It  is  important  from  both  aesthetic  and 
practical  standpoints,  that  doors  to 
closets  should  be  carefully  placed.  If 
the  furnishings  are  considered  when  the 
room  is  being  planned,  they  will  show 
the  amount  of  wall-surface  necessary 
to  accomodate  them,  and 
so  force  a  practical  loca- 
tion for  the  closet  doors. 
From  the  point  of  view  of 
design  all  doors,  including 
closet  doors,  should  be  so 
placed  as  to  have  a  pleas- 
ing relation  to  the  cest  of 
the  woodwork  in  the  room. 
Closet  doors,  by  reason  of 
their  lack  of  importance, 
have  this  advantage  over 
principal  doors  :  when  of 
necessity  they  are  badly 
placed, they  can  be  painted 
in  color  and  value  like  the 
body-color  of  the  wall- 
paper, and  thus  made  in- 
conspicuous. 

The  simplest  and  us- 
ual equipment  for  ordinary 
house-closets  is  a  wide 
shelf  high  up,  with  hook- 
strip  or  hanger-rod  (or 
both)  below  it,  and  a  shoe- 
shelf  at  the  bottom.  It  is 
a  good  plan  to  raise  the 
closet  floor  to  the  top  of 
the  threshold,— one-half  to 
seven-eighths  of  an  inch 
above  the  floor  of  the  room 
—  so  that  it  may  be  easily 
swept.  Walls  of  closets 
should  be  covered  with  oil 
paint  rather  than  papered. 
A  wardrobe  may  be  either 
fixed  or  movable.  If  mov- 
able, the  question  arises 
whether  it  is  to  be  treated 
as  part  of  the  room  or 
as  merely  a  piece  of  fur- 


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niture.  We  are  considering  here  only 
such  wardrobes,  whether  fixed  or  mov- 
able, as  are  part  of  the  room. 

Wardrobes  from  the  point  of  view 
of  design  are  part  of  the  wood-finish; 
they  are  often  built  of  the  same  stock 
as  baseboard  or  mantel,  and  are  usu- 
ally painted  or  stained  to  match.  This 
means  that  they  should  have  a  definite 
part  in  creating  the  interest  which 
wood  gives  to  a  room.  Interest  is  not 
conspicuous, but  results  from  contrasts 
appropriately  made,  between  the  ele- 
ments of  a  design.  Build  the  wardrobe 
as  an  element,  properly  related  in 
form,  position, and  size,  to  other  wood 
elements  of  the  design.  The  plan  of 
the  room  frequently  gives  the  clue. 
A  recess  in  a  wall  is  often  a  good 
location,  but  not  an  inevitable  one, 
for  the  wardrobe.  If  the  fireplace 
breast  projects  into  the  room,  the 
space  on  one  or  both  sides  of  it 
may  well  be  filled  in  with  wardrobes. 
Or,  again,  wardrobes  may  themselves 
be  made  to  project  into  the  room  on' 
both  sides  of  a  window  or  door. 
The  single  projecting  wardrobe  is  a 
more  difficult  thing  to 
handle  satisfactorily  than 
the  double  one.  It  is  most 
likely  to  be  a  success  when 
it  is  immediately  adjacent 

Isssy  to  other  wood-finish. 

The  wardrobe  may  take 
the  place,  not  only  of 
closets,  but  of  chiffonier, 
bureau,  and  dressing-table. 
It  all  depends  on  the  fit- 
ment which  it  contains. 
The  fitment  is  merely  an 
arrangement  of  shelves, 
drawers,  pigeon-holes,  etc. 
in  any  order  that  will  sat- 
isfy the  owner's  needs. 
The  man's  fitment  is  quite 
common,  with  its  subdi- 
visions for  his  several  ar- 
ticles of  apparel,  and  con- 
tains much  accommoda- 
tion in  little  space.  Afford- 
ing space  for  everything, 
from  suits  to  collar-but- 
tons, it  may  be  contained 
behind  a  single  pair  of 
wardrobe  doors.  A  wom- 
an's fitment  is  more  com- 
plex and  may  require  sev- 
eral pairs  of  doors  each  of 
which  conceals  a  fitment 
of  different  accomodations. 
Another  feature  usually 
considered  to  be  essential 
for  a  woman's  wardrobe  is 
a  mirror.  The  long  mirrors 
frequently  used  on  ward- 
robes do  less  injury  to  the 
room  if  they  are  placed  on 
the  inside  of  the  door. 


rl.oy 


55 


A  LINEN-CLOSET  fitment  of  great  flexibility.  The  corrugated  lin- 
ings, together  with  the  edge-moulding  in  drawers  and  shelves, 
make  it  possible  to  vary  as  desired  the  distance  between  any  two 
units.  Such  a  fitment  can  be  built  into  a  recess  or  into  a  project- 
ing  wardrobe.     In   cither  case  outside  doors  should  be  used. 


Linen  closet  fitted  with  open  front  drawers  ;  the  sides  of  the 
drawers  protect  the  linen  and  the  open  fi-ont  exposes  it  to  view. 
The  drawers  may  be  made  removable  or  not,  and  may  be  built 
with  fronts  which  are  hinged  at  the  bottom  and  open  down.  The 
open  front  necessitates  the  outside  door  to  the  closet. 


56 


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Che  fitment  which  is  built  into  a  wall  may  be  adapted  to  almost 
any  purpose.  One  side  of  this  is  a  woman's  wardrobe,  and  the 
•her  a  kind  of  speciaky  closet.  The  doors,  when  closed,  sim- 
!ity  in  effect  a  really  complex  arrangment.  Jn  design,  the  doors  for 
lis  kind  of  closet  should  relate  themselves  properly  to  the  other 
\ood-finish. 


This  is  a  linen  closet  which  is  conceived  as  a  part  of  the  sewing- 
room  and  is  fitted  up  with  adjustable  shelves.  The  piece  is  fixed 
in  its  position  but  might  have  been  removable,  in  which  case  it 
would  be  built  in  two  parts, —  a  base,  including  the  drawers, 
and  a  top,  —  to  facilitate  handling. 


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59 


The  Serving  Pantry 

Ideal  arrangements  Jor  shelves,  cupboards  and  accessories,  with  detail 
drawings  shown  on  opposite  page. 


The  serving  pantry  is  the  link  between  the  master  portion  of  the 
house  and  the  service  portion.  It  should  have  combined  in  it  the 
good  proportion  and  beauty  of  the  former  and  the  convenience 
and  practicability  of  the  latter. 

Broadly  speaking,  the  serving  pantry  should  accommodate  the 
table-linen,  china,  glass,  and  silver  used  in  the  dining-room,  should 
contain  proper  facilities  for  the  washing  and  care  of  table  service, 
in  proper  proportion  to  the  household  served,  together  with  the 
opportunity  for  proper  storage  and  care  of  the  tools  of  the  trade. 
It  is  often  desirable  in  houses  with  no  maid,  or  with  one  maid,  to 
omit  the  serving-pantry  sink,  as  in  either  case  the  table  service  is 
perhaps  more  conveniently  washed  in  the  kitchen  sink  where  more 
space  can  be  given  to  adequate  washing  facilities.  This  materially 
reduces  the  plumbing  expense,  and  there  is  no  reason  why  as 
cleanly  conditions  should  not  prevail  in  the  kitchen  as  in  the  serv- 
ing pantry.  A  house  designed  for  two  or  more  maids  should  have 
a  sink  in  the  serving  pantry,  and,  if  space  will  allow,  this  sink 
should  have  two  compartments,  each  with  standing  waste  and 
over-flow,  one  for  washing  the  dishes  and  the  other  for  scalding 
them.  No  single  sink  should  be  less  than  16"  by  24",  inside 
measurement,  or  should  be  without  a  movable  tray  draining  into 
the  sink,  to  hold  the  dish-drainer;  or  the  counter  should  be  grooved 
to  conduct  the  water  from  the  drainer  back  to  the  sink.  These 
sinks  should  be  made  of  what  is  known  as  white  metal,  or  German 
silver.  If  expense  is  to  be  considered  and  appearance  is  not  too 
important,  soapstone  sinks  set  into  the  wood-counter  may  be  used. 
In  no  case  should  tinned  copper  be  used. 

The  top  of  the  main  counter  should  be  set  not  less  than  2'  10" 
from  the  finished  floor,  and  the  counter  containing  the  sink  may 
be  set  as  high  as  3'  2"  without   exceeding  good   practice.      Most 


A  WELL  equipped  pantry  with  a  double-compartment,  white-metal 
sink  supplied  through  a  swinging  combination  faucet.  One  side  of 
the  sink  is  for  washing  dishes,  the  other  for  draining. 


Shelves  near  the  sink  in  a  butler's  pantry  may  be  used  for  the 
dishes  in  daily  use.  The  dishes  may  thus  be  washed,  wiped  and 
put  awav  without  the  worker  moving  from  one  spot. 

sinks  are  set  altogether  too  low.  The  counters  should  always  bj 
of  hard  wood, — maple,  birch,  cherry,  or  mahogany, — should  be  at 
least  %"  thick  and  not  over  I  Vs",  and  should  always  be  finished 
with  linseed  oil,  as  many  coats  as  the  wood  will  hold  without 
gumming.  Never  use  varnish  or  shellac  in  any  form.  If  space 
will  permit,  the  counters  should  be  2'  deep. 

Below  the  counters  the  space  is  available  for  drawers  and  cup- 
boards. The  space  under  the  sink  should  always  be  left  open. 
There  should  be  a  low  base  under  the  drawers  and  cupboards, 
about  2  V-J'  to  3"  high.  This  base  should  be  set  back  under  the 
sink  about  6"  from  the  front  of  the  fitment,  giving  space  for 
one's  toes  when  standing  in  front  of  the  sink.  The  floor  under 
the  sink  should  be  raised  to  the  top  of  the  base,  forming  a  kind  of 
low  shelf  convenient  to  keep  the  dry  mop  away  from  any  article 
which  may  be  kept  under  the  sink.  The  length  and  depth  of  the 
drawers  and  the  number  of  cases  of  drawers  should  be  suited  to 
the  particular  conditions.  A  good  practice  is  to  have  the  top 
drawers — perhaps  two  or  three  in  number — very  shallow  (not 
over  I W  deep  inside)  and  the  lower  drawers  graduated  from  314" 
to  5"  deep.  A  drawer  4"  deep  inside  is  ample  to  take  a  dozen 
large  dinner-napkins,  piled  one  above  another.  The  drawers 
should  not  have  the  so-called  "  dust-lip,"  as  this  is  likely  to  be 
broken  by  carelessness  in  standing  on  the  open  drawer  to  reach  a 
high  shelf,  and  is  unnecessary  in  a  well-ordered  house  to  insure 
cleanliness.  At  convenient  places  between  the  cupboards  and 
drawers  there  should  be  foot-pulls  to  pull  out  and  siand  on  to 
reach  the  higher  shelves.  At  the  top  of  one  case  of  drawers,  it  is 
well  to  put  in  two  silver  drawers,  each  one-half  the  length  ot 
the  drawers  below  and  2V2"  to  3"  deep.  Into  one  of  these  drawers 
should    be    set    a    rack    of  thin    wood   dividing   the   space   into 


60 


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proper  compartments  to  hold 
knives,  forks,  spoons  of  all 
sizes,  bread-and-butter  knives, 
and  all  the  commonly  used  sil- 
ver. A  proper  soft  lining  should 
be  placed  over  the  bottom  of 
the  drawer  and  the  rack  laid  in 
place.  Using  this  rack  instead 
of  making  the  partitions  station- 
ary, makes  it  possible  to  clean 
the  drawer  in  case  anything  is 
accidently  overturned  into  it. 
The  second  silver  drawer  is  in- 
tended for  separate  pieces,  carv- 
ing sets,  etc.,  and  should  in  turn 
be  divided  to  suit  its  use.  In 
some  cases,  drawers  for  napkins 
are  divided,  to  keep  the  sets  from 
getting  mixed  up  in  opening  and 
shutting  the  drawers. 

As  to  the  cupboards,  they 
may  be  single-door,  double- 
door,  and  with  or  without 
shelves.  The  floor  of  the  cup- 
boards should  always  be  about 
Vi"  above  the  bottom  of  the 
cupboard  doors,  as  a  threshold 
makes  it  hard  to  brush  the  cup- 
board out.  Knobs  for  opening 
should  be  simple  in  shape  and 
easy  to  get  hold  of;  and  friction 
catches,  without  any  latch, 
make  opening  and  shutting 
more  convenient. 

The  space  from  the  top  of 
the  counter  to  the  ceiling  should 
be   used    for   cases    with   glass 


Well-planned  pantry  cupboards  and  shelves  with  glass  doors.  The  refrig- 
erator, a  portion  of  which  appears  at  the  extreme  right  of  the  picture,  has  r.n 
ice-door  to  the  rear  porch,  which  is  shown  in  detail  on  the  opposite  page. 


doors,  and,  in  some  instances, 
plain  open  shelves.  These  cases 
and  shelves  should  not  be  higher 
than  is  generally  useful ;  one 
shelf  in  a  glass  door  case  may 
properly  be  too  high  to  reach 
from  the  floor,  but  as  a  rule  not 
more  than  one.  No  open  shelf 
too  high  to  reach  from  the  floor 
should  be  put  in.  If  the  ceiling 
is  fairly  high,  the  space  above 
the  glass  door  cases  may  be 
taken  up  with  low  cupboards 
with  wood  doors  where  extra 
dishes,  jars,  jelly  tumblers,  etc., 
may  be  stored.  The  space  be- 
tween the  counter-top  and  the 
bottom  of  the  first  shelf,  or 
the  bottom  of  the  glass-door- 
case, should  be  approximately 
i'  4".  In  very  low-studded 
rooms,  slightly  less  than  this  is 
permissible.  The  glass  case 
should  be  i'  2"  deep,  if  possible, 
from  front  to  back  inside  the 
doors.  This  depth  allows  for 
standing  platters  and  the  like  up 
at  the  back,  with  ample  room 
for  the  largest  plates  in  front. 
All  the  shelves  should  be 
grooved  at  the  back,  to  take 
standing  dishes.  Shelves  in  the 
case  should  be  behind  muntins 
in  the  doors  for  the  best  appear- 
ance, and,  in  designing  the 
doors,  correct  spacing  of  shelves 
should  be  in  mind.   The  shelves 


62 


The  refrigerator  is  a  natural  part  of  the  pantry  equipment,  and  should  be  so  placed  as  to  allow  an  ice-door  to  be  cut 
through  to  the  rear  porch.  The  illustrations  here  show  the  relation  of  a  rear  porch  to  the  house  as  a  whole,  and  close- 
up  views  of  the  outer  refrigerator  door  on  this  porch,  open  and  closed.  The  window  in  the  left-hand  picture  is  the 
one  at  the  end  of  the  pantry  on  the  opposite  page. 


a   rule  should  be  the  full  depth  of  the  case,  but  an  intermediate  shelf  about  7"  wide  is  often  most  convenient  for  saucers  and  other 
11  pieces.    It  is  advisable  to  make  the  shelves  of  hard  wood  to  match  the  countertop.  This  avoids  painting,  and  consequent  scratching 

m  the  dishes.    The  shelves  should  be  set  in  a 
^elf-cleat  so  shaped  as  to  protect  the  plaster.  jt-  y*"  r~ 

A  place  to  store  trays  may  be  arranged  for  in  any 
lone  of  the  cupboards  under  the  counter,  or  may  be 
put  above  the  table-leaf  cupboard.  The  space  should 
be  divided  with  thin  wood  partitions,  cut  out  in  the 
centre  so  that  the  trays  may  be  easily  pulled  out. 
The  table-leaves  are  best  kept  in  some  closet  out- 
side the  pantry. 

A  plate-warmer  is  a  very  useful  article  in  the 
serving  pantry.  A  radiator  may  be  made  use  of  for 
this  purpose,  placed  in  a  zinc-lined  cupboard  with 
wire  grill  doors.  Radiators  for  this  purpose,  made 
up  of  two  or  three  shelves,  may  be  had  from  the 
manufacturers.  An  electric  plate-warmer  is  the  most 
satisfactory,  as  it  is  available  in  summer  as  well  as 
in  winter.  These  plate-warmers  come  in  stock  sizes 
and  must  be  set  in  slate-lined  compartments,  pref- 
erably under  the  counter. 

The  serving  pantry,  so  far  as  painters'  finish  is 
concerned,  should  properly  be  finished  in  harmony 
with  the  dining-room,  for  it  is  really  more  a  part  of 
this  room  than  of  the  kitchen.  If  paint  is  used,  it 
should  be  enamel,  glossy  enough  to  be  cleaned  eas- 
ily. Shellac  or  varnish-finish  should  be  avoided  on 
natural  wood  ;  oil-finish  is  much  better.  The  floor 
should  be  in  harmony  with  the  dining-room  floor, 
and  should  be  finished  in  oil. 

The  door  from  the  kitchen  to  the  serving 
pantry  should  be  double-swing,  but  the  door 
from  the  serving-room  to  the  dining-room 
should  be  single-swing,  opening  into  the  din- 
ing-room, hinged  to  act  as  a  screen  when  open. 


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Kitchen  Details  and  Their  Arrangement 


The  kitchen  cabinet  shown  in  the 
accompanying  cut  was  designed  for 
the  particular  location   shown,  but 
is  of  such   dimensions   that  it  can 
be  used  in  any  kitchen.    The  prin- 
cipal aim  in  designing  this  cabinet 
was  simplicity,  and   provision    for 
large  storage  capacity,  ample  work- 
ing  space,  and    the    avoidance  of 
some   of   the    unnecessary    appli- 
ances   found    in    many    cabinets, 
which,  though  ingenious,  take  up 
considerable  spaceand  are  not  often 
used.   The  special  features  of  this 
cabinet  are  described  as  follows. 

The  large  storage  cupboard  is  34 
by  36  inches,  and  is  1 1  inches 
deep,  with  movable  shelves  which 
can  be  raised  or  lowered  to  suit 
one's  individual  needs  as  to  height 
between.  The  doors  are  of  ground 
glass,  and  the  inside  of  the  cupboard 
is  finished  in  white  enamel.  The 
cupboard  is  fastened  to  the  lower 
part  of  the  cabinet  by  screws,  so 
that  it  may  be  easily  taken  off  for 
transportation. 

Another  feature  of  the  cabinet  is 
the  table-space  under  the  cup- 
board, which  can  be  used  for 
temporary  storage  if  desirable,  and 
which  is  enclosed  by  the  drop-front 
which  slides  back  under  the  cup- 
board when  the  table  is  in  use.  The 
large  table-top,  27  by  42  inches, 
is  made  of  pine,  covered  with  pol- 
ished zinc,  and  underneath  is  a 
large  mixing  board  which  is  drawn 
out  when  in  use. 

The  flour-bin  at  the  right  is  di- 
vided into  two  compartments,  giv- 
ing storage  room  for  both  bread 
flour  and  pastry  flour.     This  bin 


Cabinet  and  counter  in  a  kitchen  which 
takes  the  place  of  pantry.  The  cup- 
boards and  drawers  below  serve  to 
centralize  the   activities  of  the  worker. 


The  cabinet,  open,  showing  the  simple  and  commodious 

arrangement  of  drawers,  shelves  and   working  surface. 

A  detail  drawing  is  shown  on  page  65. 


has  a  balancing  weight,  and  an 
automatic  catch  which  keeps  it 
open  when  flour  is  being  taken  out. 
The  upper  left-hand  drawer  is 
divided  into  small  compartments 
of  convenient  size  for  knives,  forks, 
spoons,  and  small  cooking  utensils, 
while  the  other  three  drawers  arc 
used  for  larger  utensils. 

One  of  the  special  features  of  this 
cabinet  is  the  large  drawer  at  the 
bottom  for  pots,  kettles,  and  large 
utensils  ;  this  is  found  to  be  much 
more  convenient  than  the  cup- 
board which  is  usually  provided  for 
this  purpose,  where  the  article 
wanted  is  often  at  the  back,  or  hid- 
den by  other  things  in  front.  This 
drawer,  which  is  22  by  23  inches 
and  I  I  inches  deep,  has  ample  ca- 
pacity and  is  deep  enough  for  large 
utensils.  The  drawer  slides  easily, 
being  fitted  with  brass  rollers;  and 
when  wide  open  every  article  can 
be  seen  at  a  glance. 

The  outside  of  the  cabinet  is 
made  perfectly  smooth  and  without 
panels,  in  order  to  avoid  dust- 
catchers  ;  and  the  cabinet  is  fitted 
with  ball-bearing  roller  casters,  so 
as  to  be  easily  moved  when  floors 
are  cleaned. 

The  material  used  for  all  outside 
surfaces  is  plain  oak,  stained  a  light 
golden  brown  by  burning  with 
chromate  of  potash  and  rubbing 
with  linseed  oil.  This  gives  a  dull 
finish,  which  will  not  be  injured 
by  the  steam  and  moisture  of  the 
kitchen.  The  interior  of  the 
drawers  is  of  white  wood  finished 
with  shellac. 


A  well-balanced   arrangement  of  ample  cabinets   with 
work-tables  beneath,  which  can  be  rolled  out  for  use. 


Another  good  substitute  for  the  pan- 
try. There  are  plenty  of  shelves  and 
space  here  for  all  the  equipment  of  a 

MiKilI  house. 


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65 


The  white  enamel  paint  applied  to  everything 
but  the  stove  gives  a  sanitary  appearance  to 
any  kitchen,  and  in  this  case  helps,  by  de- 
stroying deep  shadows,  to  give  unity  of  efFect 
to  a  room  of  unfortunate  projections.  The 
right-hand  table  is  an  unusual  cook's  fitment 
with  drawers  for  storage,  and  top  for  prepar- 
ation of  food. 


Combination  kitchen  and  cook's  pantry 

an  excellent  arrangement  for  the  small  house. 
The  ice-chest  is  in  the  back  hall,  and  the 
dining-room  dishes  in  the  serving  pantry;  but 
everything  that  the  cook  needs  in  the  way 
dry  stores,  utensils,  etc.,  is  in  the  kitchenl 
The  left  counter  has  an  extension  shelf,  whicf 
can  be  raised  into  place  when  desired. 


The  lattice  screen  serves  to  divide  this  kitchen 
in  appearance  without  depriving  either  half  of 
all  light  and  air  —  a  good  arrangement  for 
an  unnecessarily  large  kitchen.  A  hood  over 
the  gas-range  would  make  the  arrangement 
more  livable,  by  carrying  off  odors. 


Oilcloth  for  walls  and  ceiling,  and  linoleum 
on  the  floor,  gives  a  simple  sanitary  background 
which  almost  compels  neatness  and  orderly 
arrangement  of  dry  stores  and  utensils.  Stove, 
sink,  and  counters  are  all  so  placed  that  the 
person  at  work  will  not  easily  get  in  her  own 
light. 


D  a 


ELEVATION  A 


ELEV?VriON   B 


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67 


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._ 

Plan  showing  unsual  combination  pantry, 
serving-room,  and  breakfast  alcove,  and  its 
relation  to  kitchen,  stores,  and  ice-chest.  Ar- 
rangements of  this  kind  grew  out  of  the  special 
requirements  of  particular  families.  The  large 
pantry  means  that  much  work  usually  done  in 
the  kitchen  is  here  done  in  the  pantry.  With 
the  help  of  electrical  equipment,  light  meals 
could  be  prepared,  served,  and  eaten  without 
use  of  either  kitchen  or  dining-room. 


The  illustration  at  the  left  shows  a  view  looking  through 
to  the  kitchen  from  the  pantry.  See  plan  above.  Below  is 
the  kitchen  itself,  with  simple  fitments.  The  porcelain  sink 
is  not  commonly  used  in  kitchens. 


68 


The  cook's  cabinet 
to  the  left  contains 
dry  stores  and  the 
counter  on  which 
to  mix  and  prepare 
them.  The  sink  is 
conveniently  placed 
for  this  work  but  is 
not  as  convenient 
for  the  washing  of 
cooking  utensils. 
The  large  table  by 
the  range  helps  to 
remedy  this  defect. 


Compact  combina- 
tion kitchen,  pantry 
and  serving-room. 
Flour,  sugar,  etc.  are 
in  buckets  on  shelves 
on  the  inside  of  the 
doors  of  the  cabi- 
net, and  swing  out 
for  convenient  use 
when  these  doors 
are  opened.  Silver 
and  linen  are  kept 
in  the  drawers,  and 
dining-room  dishes 
are  in  one  glass  case, 
kitchen  dishes  in  the 
other. 


69 


McGrath-Sherrill  Press 

Grafhit  Arts  Building 

Boston 


I 


^^IVERsiTY  OP 

r- _^^J^entfa  day  overdue. 

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fiovir  ,947 

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■     *-    V/  i,    «   ,  .»    / 


GENERAL  LIBRARY -U.C.  BERKELEY 


llll 


B00D7b78fi5 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CAUFORNIA  UBRARY 


